A Third Life
by Zimarah
Summary: They were thought to be long dead, but somehow the Shitennou are revived in 30th century Crystal Tokyo. The somewhat censored edition.
1. Prologue

Crystal Tokyo, the thirtieth century. A busy and vibrant capital, where the Crystal Palace shines in the centre of it all. It is a time of peace. No wars, little crime, nothing to threaten the ordinary, everyday lives of its residents.

A man groans and opens his eyes. He is lying in a small bed in a small room, with no idea of how he got there or where he is. For the time being, there is no one around to answer his questions.

He is not without his memories. At least, of a life before this one, and yet another beyond that. This is the first time he has ever been aware of both of his lives, as his second had been spent in service to a dark queen without any memory of his first. His first, where he served the Prince of the Golden Kingdom.

His memories, his emotions from both lives conflict with each other. What is he? A loyal servant to the Prince of Earth, or to the Queen of the Dark Kingdom? He reaches a hand to his forehead as the waves of memories continue to pass through him. Why is he here now? He had died twice before, once when the Queen of the Silver Millennium had sealed the newly brainwashed servants of the Dark Kingdom, and once when his own attack at been deflected back at him, piercing his chest.

That is the last thing he remembers. Crying out for Zoisite to meet him on the other side.

This isn't the afterlife, and Zoisite is no where to be seen. He is alone in a simple room, in a bed hardly big enough for one person.

He stands up, a little shaky on his feet at first, and looked out the window. The sight of the Crystal Palace is a new one for him. This is in no city on Earth that he was familiar with. Where is he? _Wh__en_ is he? How long has he been dead? It could have been days, weeks, months, years, or even millennia. One thing he is certain of however, even though he knows nothing of his current location, is that the other three must be here as well. He would not have been the only one revived.

He has to find Zoisite.


	2. Chapter 1

Kunzite had been living in Crystal Tokyo for two years now. He used the alias Saitou Kunikiyo as he went about his life. His true name, he learned quickly, was recognized by most of the citizens. Apparently the Dark Kingdom and the Golden Kingdom were taught extensively in history classes now.

The home he had awoken in had belonged to an elderly couple who had found him unconscious on the street near their home. He carried no identification on him, just the clothes on his back, which weren't of particular interest. They assumed he had partial amnesia, and so he slowly learned about the time and place he had awakened in.

It had been millennia after all. 1000 years since he had been serving the Dark Kingdom, but the world had been frozen for much of that time. He didn't completely understand that part, nor did he really care. His priority had been to find Zoisite, but as it turned out, Crystal Tokyo was even bigger than the original city. He tried for a full year to find his partner, but to no avail, nor did he find any other members of the Shitennou.

It was after the first year that Kunzite set his sights on another target. Surely King Endymion had his memories of the Golden Kingdom now. If he did, and he still had his powers, he would be able to track down the remaining Shitennou. Kunzite had spend most of the last year planning on a way to meet with the king face to face, but with a face as recognizable as his by the Sailor Senshi that were also commonly found around the palace, he could hardly just walk up to the door.

Kunzite had studied this new world extensively. He needed to know how much of the past the general population knew about, just how many people might recognize him by his face alone. How much of the two kingdoms of the past did the people know about? Unlike the people of the twentieth century, these people were fully aware of what had happened. It meant that Kunzite needed to keep a low profile. Mention of the Dark Kingdom or even the Shitennou was often met with negative responses.

He also studied the palace itself. It's apparent security set up, routines of the palace guards, which guards were attentive and which were more relaxed. He studied the roles of the Sailor Senshi themselves, the political obligations of the two monarchs. He even studied the school schedule of their daughter. He had considered using her to get to the King for a while, but decided against it as she was often accompanied by Sailor Pluto. The little pink haired brat was more trouble than she was worth, and Kunzite was without any of the powers he once held.

His plan used the fact that people in this time were too trusting of others. He could get himself into the palace without trouble. The difficulty would come after that point. There were no blueprints that he could find of the interior of the palace, so it was impossible to know just what kind of battle field he would be on until he was there.

He dressed himself in old, torn clothing with a shredded cloak over his shoulders. He waited just out of sight of the guards at the main entrance of the palace. It was well into night and the streets were quiet. As two o'clock approached, a new set of guards came out, conversed with the first set for a moment, and then replaced them entirely. Kunzite knew these two well now, younger men, raised in a time when there was no reason to mistrust one another.

It had begun to rain lightly, and Kunzite pulled the tattered hood over his pale hair. In truth, there were many ways he would prefer to do this, but given the circumstances, he saw no dishonour in using such a method. Granted it was hardly charging in head first with a full army, but he had not an army, nor even the ability to teleport or create himself a weapon.

He hunched his shoulders and kept his eyes on the ground in front of him as he began to slowly approach the two guards. He staggered a bit, and before he was even half way there, he had the guards' attention.

"Sir, are you alright?"

Kunzite didn't reply. As he drew closer, he kept his eyes mostly closed, fluttering occasionally. He reached a hand up to his head and paused his approach. Knowing he had their full attention now, he collapsed to his knees as though in pain.

As expected, the guards ran forward. "Sir? What's wrong?"

Kunzite made his breathing sound laboured, "I... where...?" Faking a sudden sharp pain, he moaned as he continued to press a hand to his head. "...who...am..."

Figuring that that should be sufficient to make his point, Kunzite then closed his eyes and collapsed completely, falling on to the now wet ground.

"Call the physician!" one of the guards said, and the second ran off. The first one rolled Kunzite onto his back and checked his vital signs. The hood fell back, and the guard gasped. Kunzite thought for a second that perhaps his face was more recognizable than originally assumed, but that was not the case. "He's young..." the guard commented to himself.

Kunzite didn't exactly consider himself 'young', but it would be easy to assume that the man who staggered towards them had been an old man.

Soon the second guard reappeared with who Kunzite could only assume was the palace physician. Three men then together carried Kunzite into the palace.

As Kunzite's eyes were closed the entire time, he couldn't be sure, but he heard no other people along the journey, which was a relief. The fewer the better.

He was laid down on a small bed in what must have been a sick room. "I'll take care of him from here, thank you," the physician said, and the other two men left.

The doctor looked him over, checked his vitals again, and scratched some notes down a piece of paper. "No fever, pulse and breathing are normal," he said to himself as he wrote, "patient is a man who appears to be in his late twenties, probably dehydrated." He continued to write a bit more silently before putting the pad down on the counter and turning the lights down. He opened the door and closed it again, leaving the room very quiet.

Kunzite opened his eyes and looked towards the door without moving his head at first. The doctor was indeed gone, and Kunzite moved quickly. He got off the bed and checked over the sick room quickly. Indeed there was a second room that appeared to be reserved for more complicated procedures and operations. It had scalpels, which would be enough of a weapon for what Kunzite needed.

Taking the small blade, Kunzite slowly opened the door and found no one in the hall outside. He continued down the hall from where he had entered the palace slowly. It was quiet; most of the servants were asleep at this hour. He found a set of stairs and took them, figuring that the royals likely sleep on one of the upper floors.

For a building with such an extravagant exterior, the interior was rather simple and easy to figure out. He continued up the stairs until he reached the top. This floor had a silver carpeted hall and was quite small with only four rooms. The most impressive doors where at the end of the hall, and Kunzite went right to them. Interesting how they were unguarded.

He opened one of them slowly and silently. The light from the hall cast light onto the large bed of the King and Queen, only one of whom was in bed. Kunzite had picked this day for a reason. The Queen and her inner Sailor Senshi were away on a business trip in North America. The King has remained behind in Crystal Tokyo. Not only did Kunzite not have the Queen to worry about at this moment, but none of the Inner Senshi who would recognize him were in the palace either.

He slipped into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He allowed his eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light and then he slipped over to the side of the bed.

Kunzite wasted no time and threw his hand over the King's mouth, both waking him and silencing him. Endymion instinctively moved to fight back, but Kunzite showed him the scalpel he had brought along with him, the blade shining in the moonlight from the window. "Don't move, or I'll slice your throat," he said and Endymion stopped fighting.

Endymion's eyes tried to focus on the face in front of him, probably recognizing the voice, and Kunzite couldn't help but smile. He hadn't been Endymion's biggest fan when the two of them had been forced to work together in the Dark Kingdom. Of course, Kunzite's memories of the Golden Kingdom told him that everything about this was wrong, but Kunzite currently felt no loyalty to either this man or the woman, Beryl. He needed information right now, that was all.

"Do you know who I am?" Kunzite asked.

Endymion squinted, still trying to fully take in Kunzite's face. It only took a few more moments for his eyes to grow wide in both recognition and shock.

"I'll take that as a yes. My intention is not to harm you, I just need something from you. Do you understand?"

Endymion nodded, and Kunzite slowly removed his hand from the other man's mouth. "How are you alive?" the King whispered.

"That answers one of my questions, you don't know." Kunzite had been hoping that the King might have been able to shed some light on that, but apparently not. "Get up."

Endymion did as requested, but Kunzite kept the blade close enough to remind the man who was in charge of this situation. "You have your memories of the Golden Kingdom, correct?" Kunzite asked.

"Yes. I'm surprised that you do."

"I need to find the other three. You're going to help me do that."

Endymion looked from Kunzite to the scalpel and then back. "You can put that away," he said.

"I don't think so."

"I'll help you, but I can't do anything from this room. I'll need to get dressed."

"You may."

Kunzite moved away from the King, but keep as close as he could without getting in the way. As soon as the King was dressed in his regular attire, Kunzite closed in again with the blade, standing behind the King with his hands on his shoulders. "Where do you need to go?" he asked.

"Two floors down."

"And what's there?"

"A control room. There's a computer there that I can connect to telepathically. I can use it to track down the other Tennou. I mean it, Kunzite, you don't have to hold that blade."

Kunzite had a feeling that he was telling the truth, but he couldn't take that chance. "If you plan to do what I ask, then you won't have to worry about it."

The pair moved slowly, but without running into anyone along the way. Once inside, Endymion attempted to move towards the main panel, but Kunzite held him back. "Hold it," he said, reminding the King of his weapon. "How do I know that you aren't going to try and alert someone to your situation?"

"You have my word."

"Not good enough."

Endymion took a breath, "Kunzite, I don't know how you are alive now, nor can I tell you if the others are as well, but I can understand your desire to find them, especially Zois-"

"You know nothing of it!" Kunzite snapped. "Don't pretend to."

"You don't have your powers any more, do you?" Endymion asked. "You wouldn't be holding me here with a scalpel if you did. If I truly wanted to escape, I could."

Kunzite hated to admit that he was right. He had hoped that Endymion would be as powerless as he, but no such luck apparently. He removed the blade and shoved the man towards the control panel. "Find them," he ordered.

Endymion said nothing, but placed both his hands on flat panels. The controls lit up and Kunzite stepped forward to observe. Endymion closed his eyes and a map of the city appeared on the large screen in front of the pair. In the centre was the palace, and from there a visualization of what looked like a sound wave extended throughout the city in a growing circle. One by one, three dots began to blink on the screen and Endymion opened his eyes. "There they are," he said.

"Which one is Zoisite?"

Endymion shook his head, "I can't tell."

Kunzite glared over at the King. "Like hell you can't. Which one is he?"

"I truly do not know, I'm sorry." The King walked over to the screen and pointed at the closest dot. This caused the screen to zoom in on the location. "This is a temple, Zenyoumitsu-ji ." He moved finger back and then to the second dot, "this is the more upscale section of the city. Well off business men and their families mostly. It's a decent sized home." Then to the farthest dot. "This is... a section of the city I'm working to clean up actually."

"What do you mean?"

"Even Crystal Tokyo has its problems. The income of the people in this area is lower, crime exists, as well as some less than commendable professions. This particular building is a brothel."

Kunzite looked over the map again quickly, memorizing the locations. "We'll start with the closest one and work out."

"We?" Endymion asked.

"Yes," Kunzite looked at him in the eye, "you are not free until I find Zoisite."


	3. Chapter 2

Kunzite waited at the designated place, a park a few blocks west of the palace. He had threatened Endymion several times over with what would happen if he didn't hold his end of the promise to meet the next morning, but somehow Kunzite knew that he would show up.

He had mauled over the three areas the king had described. An up scale business district just screamed Nephrite's territory. Kunzite wouldn't be surprised at all if he has re-assumed the identity of Sanjoin Masato.

The more questionable area, the furthest one from the palace, the king has said contained a lot of prostitution and drugs. Somehow Kunzite could see Jadeite being a regular customer at a brothel, or even so far as to have his own establishment.

The temples were where Kunzite knew he would find Zoisite. Surrounded by the beauty of sakura trees, Zoisite would be right at home. It was the closest, and so they would be heading there first. If Endymion bothered to show up.

He ended up being a couple minutes late, and he was dressed in casual civilian attire to help hide his identity and draw less attention to the pair.

"You're late," Kunzite said. "You wouldn't have been considering backing out, would you?"

"Nothing of the sort," the king replied, "it just proved a slightly greater challenge to sneak out, that is all."

"So no one knows you are here?"

"Not a soul."

"Good. We're going to the temple first."

* * *

The journey was short and silent. Endymion had taken a moment to try and zero in on the locations, but the other Shitennou could easily move from the time he checked to when they arrived. "When I checked this morning, one of them was at Zenyoumitsu-ji, it's just around this corner."

As soon as the temple was within sight, Kunzite picked up the pace. A pair of statues marked the entrance, and the temple was surrounded by trees. Kunzite walked inside quickly and surveyed the grounds. He saw no one, so he decided to head towards the main hall. Just as he reached its entrance, a voice called out to him. "May I help you?"

Kunzite's spirits feel as he recognized the voice and turned to face Jadeite. He wore traditional black and grey robes and held several books in his hands. The thing that Kunzite found most strange was his lack of recognition upon seeing Kunzite. "I was looking for someone," Kunzite replied slowly, observing Jadeite, "I guess he's not here."

Disheartened, Kunzite turned to exit the shrine grounds, but Jadeite called out to him. "Wait!" Jadeite said, and Kunzite turned back to face him. "You look familiar, do I know you?"

Kunzite was confused. Why would Jadeite not have his memories? Did it have anything to do with how he died? Jadeite had been sentenced to eternal sleep, rather than an actual death. Perhaps it had affected him in this life. "No," Kunzite replied, "you don't."

He turned again and left the shrine quickly. "The business district," Kunzite commanded as soon as Endymion was within ear shot.

* * *

The time to get over to the other side of the city was a bit longer, and they had to take the subway to get there. Along the way, Kunzite considered the possibility that Zoisite would be here rather than at the temple. It was higher class, and Zoisite did certainly appreciate some of the finer things.

The train reached their stop, and Kunzite followed Endymion off the train and out of the station. They walked a few blocks, having said nothing to each other since Kunzite's brief words at the temple. Endymion stopped in from on a tall office building. "This was where one of them was as of this morning," he said and then waited for Kunzite to make his move.

The building was far too large to search, but Kunzite noticed a sign on the side with a list of offices in the building. As he read through them, one caught his eye. "Astro Technologies, Sanjoin Masato."

"Damn it," Kunzite cursed as he turned from the sign and started back towards the king. As he turned however, he found himself face to face with Nephrite, wearing a business suit, and staring back at him. Kunzite was hardly in a good mood at this point, and he and Nephrite hadn't exactly been on the best of terms in the Dark Kingdom, so his voice did end up sounding rather condescending. "Sanjoin Masato?" he asked.

"Do I know you?" he asked, still staring.

Now Kunzite was surprised. He didn't recognize him either? "You don't remember me?" Kunzite asked.

"I'm sorry, I deal with a lot of people every day. Were you looking for me?"

"No," Kunzite replied, stepping around him to return to the king. "I was not."

* * *

Kunzite was feeling a lot of things on their way out to the outskirts of the city, and none of them were good. Why was Zoisite in the worst part of town? How did he get there?

Also, neither Jadeite nor Nephrite remembered him, but they had shown at least some recognition. Surely Zoisite would recognize him, considering how close they had been. Zoisite's final words had haunted him these entire two years, "I loved you, Kunzaito-sama."

Love had been forbidden in the Dark Kingdom, and Kunzite had not considered himself able to feel such an emotion. Zoisite had felt that way, however, and looking back on that time, and the time before that, there had been... something. Kunzite was just terrible at expressing his emotions, Dark Kingdom aside.

"We're here," Endymion said as the train made it's final stop. They were the only passengers left in the car.

Kunzite looked around, garbage littered the streets, and a few people sat on the side walks against the buildings, all in varying states of consciousness. "Where is he?" Kunzite asked.

"Follow me," Endymion whispered.

Kunzite knew that they stood out. Neither had dressed particularly fancy, but even casual clothing stood out as above the poverty line. They were getting looks, and Kunzite did his best to not make eye contact with anyone, but at the same time he was scanning for the familiar coppery gold waves of hair.

Endymion paused briefly and spoke quietly, "He was in here this morning."

Kunzite looked at the building, and it was indeed a brothel. Closed until later at night, and there didn't appear to be much activity inside. "Why?" Kunzite whispered to himself, worried about what the answer might be.

"Come," Endymion instructed and they continued on their way. "We need to appear to know where we are going," he explained. "We shouldn't have any problems with thieves, even though we stand out."

"Where are we going?"

"If he's not here, he must be in the area. We'll take a quick look around, and if we don't find him, we'll come back at another time."

As the pair walked down the street quickly, Kunzite caught something in the distance out of the corner of his eye. There were two people down one of the side streets, and the smaller of the two most definitely had Zoisite's hair.

Kunzite turned and walked towards them without any warning to Endymion. As he got closer, he could make out voices, and soon Zoisite's face became clear, as did his situation. The other man, much larger than him in both height and width had him backed against a wall, blocking him in with his hands. Zoisite had a few bags in his hands and was trying to press himself as far into the wall as he could.

"I told you, I'm not working right now," Zoisite said.

"I didn't say you had a choice in the matter."

Kunzite's anger began to boil as the other man continued to make advances on Zoisite. "Don't touch me," Zoisite said, and edge of warning in his voice. "You know I get the money up front."

The other man scoffed, "You hardly held up your end of the deal last time, you owe me."

Zoisite dropped the bags he was carrying, groceries apparently, as the other man grabbed his wrists and pinned them against the wall quickly. Zoisite tried to kick out at him, but the other man was quick for his size. He dodged the first one, and then used his body to hold Zoisite's legs against the wall as well. He was obviously disgusted by this man, as was Kunzite. Nobody touched his Zoisite.

"Let him go," Kunzite ordered, glaring at the man who was easily his own height.

The other man looked Kunzite over. "And who the hell do you think you are?"

"Let him go."

"I got to him first, you can have him after I'm finished."

Without further warning, Kunzite stuck the man with his fist. It was enough force to get him away from Zoisite at least. He didn't give him enough time to respond before spinning around and launching a back kick into the man's stomach, an easy target.

The man fell on the ground on his back, and Kunzite took this moment to check on Zoisite. He hadn't moved from his spot and stared at Kunzite with wide eyes.

"You bastard..." the man groaned.

"Move on," Kunzite said, standing over him. "Or do we need to continue this?"

The other man's eyes narrowed at Kunzite has he got to his feet. "You'll regret this," he spat at Kunzite before looking over at Zoisite, "and you still owe me."

"I don't owe you shit."

He turned and left then, quite frustrated and with a bloody lip, but gone and that was all Kunzite cared about. He turned to Zoisite then, who was still staring at him in shock. "Are you alright?" Kunzite asked.

"Fine," Zoisite replied, his voice a bit more quiet now.

The bags that Zoisite had dropped earlier had fallen over, and so Kunzite leaned down and began to gather the food that had spilled. Zoisite just continued to stare down at him, Kunzite could feel his eyes on the back of his head. Was he remembering? Kunzite was holding back telling him everything, since he wanted Zoisite's memories to come back on his own.

Kunzite stood and handed the bags back to Zoisite, who accepted them, but still didn't seem to know what to do. "Do you live around here?" Kunzite asked.

Zoisite nodded. "I was just heading back there."

"I'll walk you there."

Again Zoisite nodded. Kunzite walked beside him, his hand touching the small of Zoisite's back in a protective and possessive gesture. He wasn't naive, he knew what Zoisite had been doing for money these last two years. It disgusted him that so many men had laid their hands on him, but at the same time, he blamed himself. He hadn't found Zoisite fast enough, and for whatever reason, Zoisite, without any memories, had done what he needed to find money.

The pair reached Endymion, and Kunzite had them pause for a moment. He knew, of course Endymion knew, and he gave Kunzite a look of pity. Kunzite wanted none of it. "You're free to leave," he said, and then walked on, not once looking back at the king.

"May I ask who that was?" Zoisite asked quietly.

"No one important."


	4. Chapter 3

The rest of the journey was in silence, and as Kunzite suspected, Zoisite lead them back to the brothel. He unlocked the door and held it open for Kunzite to follow.

The entrance was set up as a living room, couches and armchairs lined the walls, and there were several women sitting. Seeing that Zoisite had come home with more than just groceries, one of the girls got up and took the bags, while the others looked Kunzite over from top to bottom, and not without a hint of jealousy.

"Wow..." one of them whispered.

"Shh!" another hissed back.

Kunzite ignored them for the most part and watched Zoisite. He spoke to an older woman, probably the madam. Kunzite heard mention of the man that he had found harassing Zoisite, but everything else was rather hushed. After a moment, Zoisite gestured to Kunzite, and he followed Zoisite to the back of the home, and then up the stairs.

Zoisite opened the door to one of the rooms upstairs and held the door open for Kunzite, before following him in and locking the door behind them.

The room was rather simple. A large, king sized bed with green silk sheets, matching curtains, which Zoisite drew once inside. A few lamps lined the walls, and those were turned on. Kunzite noted the sakura blossom design on the lamp. It looked like the room had been designed around him, and it probably was. A small round table was also in the room, and two wooden chairs were set at it as well.

Zoisite himself wore very simple clothes. From what Kunzite could tell, his clothing was a bit more expensive than average for this area, but it would probably be expected that he look good, even when outside and not working. He wore plain brown pants, which were tighter than Kunzite was used to seeing on him. Designed to show off his rear, obviously. A looser fitting white shirt, a few buttons open on the front, tucked into his pants as well, and simple brown shoes.

As Kunzite looked at him, he couldn't take it any more. He walked over to Zoisite and wrapped his arms around him, crushing his lips into Zoisite's.

Never before had Zoisite ever pushed him away.

"As you heard before, I take my money up front," he said. His expression showed disappointment.

"Excuse me?" Kunzite asked. Of course he knew what Zoisite was talking about, but somehow it was difficult for Kunzite to take, having Zoisite try and charge him for sex.

Zoisite pulled his hair out of the ponytail he wore, the golden curls falling around his face. He brushed some of them away and then gestured to the table. "Just put the money on the table. Fifty for a quick blow job, a hundred if you want my ass," he paused for a moment and twirled a lock of his hair around a finger. His face took on a sultry look as he looked Kunzite over slowly, "and three hundred for the whole night, or as long as you can last."

Kunzite looked away, he hated this. How many men had Zoisite brought up here? One a night? Two? Over two years, that was far to many men for Kunzite's comfort. But it wasn't that he was turned off by Zoisite now, it was just what he had done. He would never have fallen to this if he had his memories. "You don't remember me at all, do you?"

Kunzite looked back at the man that had once shared his bed each night. Zoisite's face had frozen for a moment, but then he shook his head. "I've never serviced you before," he said.

"I mean before you started doing this."

Again, Zoisite paused, trying to figure out what to say. Kunzite continued to press forward, for some reason, Zoisite was hiding his 'amnesia'. "It's been two years since you lost your memories, am I right?"

He wasn't talking now. Zoisite was studying Kunzite, trying to figure him out.

"I hate seeing you like this, doing this..."

"These is nothing wrong with making a bit of money," Zoisite snapped back. "Especially if it's something I happen to be very good at."

There was nothing to argue there, Kunzite remembered all too well how good Zoisite had been in bed. "Well then, if you don't remember me, then I have no reason to be here." Kunzite turned and went for the door. Maybe he could come up with another plan to get Zoisite back, maybe his memory would return eventually, but for now, Kunzite couldn't stand it any more.

He got as far as turning the door knob when Zoisite stopped him. "Wait!"

Kunzite paused and waited, refusing to look behind him for the time being.

"Do you really know me?"

He turned and looked over at the man. "I do."

Zoisite looked so hopeful for a moment, but the expression was lost soon after. "Look, I don't know how you found out about my memory problems, but you are hardly the first person to try and sweep me off my feet and take me home. Granted, it's the first time someone has tried _before_ sleeping with me..."

Kunzite turned away from the door and approached Zoisite. He wanted to touch him, and he feared that Zoisite would stop him, but still Kunzite brushed his fingers through the coppery locks. Much to his relief, Zoisite let him. He wanted Zoisite to remember on his own, but he couldn't help himself. Kunzite needed to say these things. "The last time I saw you, you were dying."

Zoisite was confused. "What do you mean?"

Kunzite shook his head. He couldn't explain the details. "When I figured out that you were still alive, I had to find you, and I looked for two years. And here you are, and you're... you're doing this."

Zoisite looked down for a moment. "Look, if what you are saying is true, then I do want to know more about myself, but... I need some kind of proof..."

Proof? Kunzite could think of nothing that he had that would prove what he was saying. The picture of the two of them that they had had in the Dark Kingdom would have been perfect, but Kunzite had nothing from that time. The Dark Kingdom has been destroyed by the Ginzuishou.

An idea came to him then, and Kunzite could hardly believe what he was doing, but it was the only thing he could think of. He did have money on him, and slowly he drew the required funds from his pocket and put it on the table. Zoisite's gaze followed his and then looked back at him quizzically. "I'll prove it to you," Kunzite replied. "I know everything about you."

Zoisite looked back at the table again. Three hundred, a whole night. He nodded and stepped away from Kunzite for a moment. "I'll need a minute to get ready. Is there anything you want me dressed in?"

Kunzite shook his head. "You only need to be naked."

Zoisite gave a small smile. "I'll be back in a moment."

Zoisite left and went into an adjoining room. Kunzite took a look around again. He was still wearing his shoes, so he kicked those off and left them at the door. Uncertain as to how long Zoisite was going to take in getting ready, Kunzite sat at the foot of the bed and waited. Regardless of how many men Zoisite had 'serviced', none of them would know his body as well as Kunzite. No one could. Kunzite had been Zoisite's first, and until they had been parted in the Dark Kingdom, the only person he had ever slept with.

Kunzite remembered that innocence Zoisite had back in the Golden Kingdom, back when they had hidden their relationship from everyone with as much caution as possible. Even before their prince had announced the betrothals.

The door opened and Kunzite looked up. Zoisite stepped out of the second room, dressed only in a sheer green night robe. Desire was immediately lit in Kunzite. He completely forgot that, technically, he was paying for this. "You're beautiful..."

Zoisite was taken aback by the comment. Had this been the first time any of his customers had told him that? "Th... thank you."

Kunzite stood up and Zoisite made his way over. Kunzite wasted no time in pulling Zoisite in close and kissing him deeply. His hands ran down Zoisite's back, over the fine material that covered his thin frame. His tongue slipped inside Zoisite's mouth to explore long lost familiar territory. It had been a thousand years, but Kunzite remembered every inch of Zoisite's body.

It was a dream come true to have Zoisite back in his arms, to share the intimacy that they had once taken for granted. Kunzite's need to have Zoisite back again drove him to explore every inch of the younger man's body. He would seek out every sensitive and erogenous zone that Zoisite had and prove that they had indeed once been lovers.

* * *

Kunzite draped his arm over Zoisite's chest and nuzzled his face into Zoisite's neck and hair. "You said my name," he commented after their love making.

"Kunzaito-sama..." Zoisite repeated. "You called me Zoisaito."

"It is your name, but what name to you go by now?"

"The girls called me Izou."

"Then continue to use that name," Kunzite explained, "our true names are not met with much... acceptance."

"I don't understand."

"Just don't tell anyone that I call you Zoisaito."

There was a pause in their conversation as they continued to lie quietly together, one Zoisite eventually broke.

"What's name to you go by then?" Zoisite asked.

"Saitou Kunikiyo."

Zoisite nodded and then sighed quietly. "I'm so tired..." he said, fatigue in his voice as well.

Kunzite understood and began to push himself up. "I'll leave you to sleep then."

"I sleep in the next room, and I have to clean up here first."

"Let me help you then."

Zoisite shook his head, "no, you don't have to."

"I want to."

There was no further argument, and the two of them stripped the bed down. A second set of matching sheets took the place of the first ones, and Zoisite carried the dirty sheets into the adjoining room. Kunzite followed him and found the Zoisite's sleeping quarters were far less luxurious. The bedroom and bathroom together were barely even half the size of the main room. The bed was a single, dressed in plain cotton sheets. A closet, filled with what Kunzite figured would be outfits to match as many imaginable fetishes as possible.

Zoisite deposited the sheets in a laundry hamper. "I'll do the laundry in the morning," he said.

Kunzite walked up to him and ran his fingers through the sweat-damp curls on Zoisite's head. "You can stop doing this," he said. "That was proof enough, was it not?"

Zoisite looked up at him was a worried expression. He nodded slightly and bit his lip as he looked away.

Kunzite realized then that it would not be a simple matter of telling his boss that he was finished working here. It wasn't exactly an industry that Kunzite was familiar with, but Zoisite was a rarity indeed, and not one someone would want to give up easily. He decided it might be best to let the matter rest for now. "Get some sleep," he said, walking Zoisite over to the bed. "I'll come back tomorrow."

Zoisite's expression brightened immediately. "That would be wonderful."

Kunzite smiled and pulled the sheets down, and then pulling them back up and over Zoisite's body. He leaned down and kissed him softly before turning to leave the room and gather his clothes.

"Wait!" Zoisite called after him. "Your money. I can't take it."

Kunzite turned and returned to Zoisite's side. "If you need the money, you can have it. How much are you expected to give to the madam?"

"Fifty percent."

Kunzite nodded. "Is there anything you need?"

Zoisite shook his head. "No, Mama-san does take good care of us. I'll be fine."

"When should I come by tomorrow?"

"The sooner the better," Zoisite replied. "We open the doors around nine usually, and it's first come first served."

Kunzite understood what he meant. "I'll be here early then."


	5. Chapter 4

Zoisite had slept in later than usual and jumped out of bed when he got a clear look at the clock. "Damn it," he muttered to himself. The girls had probably already had breakfast.

He dressed himself as quickly as he could, but he mind kept drifting back to Kunikiyo, no Kunzite. He believed him, believed what he told him, that his real name was Zoisite and that they had been lovers before he lost his memory. "But he didn't say that, did he?" He hadn't, but they had to have been. No one could have known that much about his body unless they had been together for years.

"_The last time I saw you, you were dying._"

Dying. Obviously he wasn't dead, so what had happened? Is that how he lost his memories? What had happened to him? Zoisite had so many questions that he needed to ask Kunzite.

Once dressed, he brushed his hair and pulled it back into the loose ponytail he preferred, then he hurried down the stairs to the kitchen in hopes that there was still some breakfast left over for him. He stopped in his tracks when the five girls were all waiting for him, a variety of grins and smirks on their faces.

"You have to tell us about him," Erika said immediately. "He was gorgeous!"

Zoisite felt an inexplicable twinge of jealousy at her comment, but was distracted from that by Yuki.

"And apparently he's a terrific lay on top of that!"

"What?" Zoisite asked. How the hell would they know about that?

"Oh, come on, we heard you all the way down here. Your acting is good, but it's not that good."

Zoisite felt his face begin to burn. How loud had he been screaming? He looked away from them and grabbed a plate, helping himself to the cool leftovers.

"Oh come on! You have to tell us something."

Zoisite took a seat at the table and the other girls hurried to grab the remaining seats with the exception of Kotone who continued to lean against the counter and remained silent for the most part. She was the oldest of the five, made the most money of all of them, and was also something of an assistant to Mama-san.

Zoisite looked down at his food for a moment. "I think he knows me," he said quietly, cutting off a piece of the egg and bringing it to his mouth.

"Knows you how?" Kotone asked.

He swallowed the first mouth full, a bit disappointed in the temperature, but unwilling to make himself a whole new breakfast because of it. "He knew about my amnesia," Zoisite began, "including when it begins. Also... he knew my body better than I do."

"Did you get paid?"

"Kotone!" Yuki exclaimed. "He may have just found his old lover and you want his money?"

"It's alright," Zoisite said, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing the funds. "He paid me anyway."

Kotone left her spot by the counter to collect the fees, seemingly satisfied for the time being. Yuki pulled her chair closer to Zoisite in hopes of getting more of the story. "Do you think you two were lovers?"

Zoisite couldn't help but smile a bit and nod in reply. Yuki's subsequent squeal of joy was a little harsh on his ears.

Erika folded her arms over her chest. "Figures, all of the beautiful ones have to be gay."

"Can you tell us a bit more about him?" Umeko jumped in. "What's his name? Where is he from? He was well dressed, definitely not from around here."

"Well, his name's Kunz-" Zoisite stopped himself, remembering Kunzite's rather cryptic remark about not using their real names. "Kunikiyo," he said, "I'm not really sure where he lives though."

"That's an odd name..."

Zoisite nodded and continued with his breakfast.

"Izou," Kotone spoke up again, "I don't have to remind you that this is the fifth time someone has tried to pull this on you."

Zoisite shook his head, "this is different. I didn't believe him at first, which is why he gave me the money, but there is no way he could have known me that well."

"He just happened to be good in the sack," Kotone continued, "and he wants you for himself."

"Then how did he know about my memory problems?" Zoisite asked. "Did anyone here ever say anything?"

A round of "no"s and "not me"s proceeded and soon all eyes were on Kotone. "Who knows how he found out? He could have talked to one of your regulars for all we know. The fact of the matter is that he could just as easily be another man trying to take you home, and when he does you know that he'll do everything in his power to keep you and control you. No one here wants to see you hurt, Izou. Be careful." Kotone excused herself, leaving Zoisite with the remaining four girls.

Yuki watched over her shoulder as Kotone left and then turned back to Zoisite. "Well, if he is your old lover, then I am so happy for you! When will you see him again?"

Zoisite smiled, "he said he'd be back early tonight."

"I can't wait to see this guy," Takara said, the last of the five to say anything. She hadn't been in the house by the time Zoisite had returned home with him, and didn't get to see Kunzite leave either. "White hair, dark skin, and well built? Damn, you are so lucky, Izou!"

Zoisite smiled at her and finished his breakfast. He had been going by Izou for as long as he could remember, but it was starting to sound so wrong now. He stood and brought his dishes to the sink. "I have a lot of things to do today, I'll see you guys later."

* * *

Laundry was his job in the house this week, and Zoisite finished it as quickly as he could. He would have to be back in the lobby and "ready to perform" by eight, and getting ready usually took him a while. He wanted to run over to the nearest library, which was a bit of a trip out of the district.

He put on the best clothes he owned, which unfortunately weren't all that great. Most of his money went into things that would make himself more marketable, including outfits to wear for clients. His best outfit that wasn't designed to attached a buyer's attention was a black T-shirt and a pair of jeans that were torn around the bottom.

Money for transit wasn't a problem, not after last night. He felt a little guilty about using Kunzite's money, but at the same time it would be to find out more about him, and himself. Zoisite figured that if he didn't want their real names getting out, there must be a reason for it. It wasn't anything that Zoisite could think of, but if it was public knowledge, it would be at a library.

He wasn't a complete foreigner to the library. In fact, he had learned much about his surroundings by reading up on them here. He read about the frozen state this world had taken and about the twentieth century before that had happened. Even the Golden Kingdom and the Silver Millennium he was somewhat familiar with, as his King and Queen had transmigrated through time from that point.

Zoisite picked out a computer away from most of the other patrons. He had no idea why such names as "Zoisite" and "Kunzite" should be avoided, but he would heed that advice until he understood the reason himself.

The search that resulted from the names surprised him. The computer pointed him towards several history books about the Golden Kingdom as well as the Dark Kingdom, the latter of which he was not familiar with. The first entry was always a good place to start, and so he headed towards the shelf containing a book about "The Shitennou".

The book seemed divided in half, the first half about the Golden Kingdom, and the second about the Dark Kingdom. Zoisite started with what he knew and began to read about these "Shitennou". He learned quickly that he and Kunzite shared names with two of the members.

The Shitennou had been guardians of the Earth Prince Endymion, now King of Earth in Crystal Tokyo. The five had grown up together and had been close friends. Kunzite was the eldest and the leader of the quartet, while Zoisite was the youngest.

A woman named Beryl had desired Prince Endymion's hand in marriage, but the Prince had eyes only for the Princess of the Silver Millennium, Serenity. In an effort to stop the proposed marriage, Beryl came in contact with an entity known as Metalia and had gained considerable power. She began to brainwash the people of Earth, and eventually even the Shitennou turned against the Silver Millennium.

Zoisite read with great interest. The Shitennou sided with Beryl and Prince Endymion fled to the Silver Millennium, and fought to defend it against his own people. He and Serenity were killed in the battle, along with Serenity's own guardians, the Sailor Senshi. Queen Serenity, the Princess' mother used the Ginzuishou to seal Beryl and her followers.

The general gist of the past battle Zoisite was familiar with, but the Shitennou were new to him. The book continued to go into detailed descriptions of each of the members. The first two were about Jadeite and Nephrite, and Zoisite opted to skip those chapters entirely in favour of his own namesake.

Zoisite had been sixteen at the time of the battle, and had received most of his training directly from Kunzite. As a result, the two had become close over time, but it had been a surprise to everyone just how close.

When Endymion's marriage to Serenity had been announced, the betrothal of Endymion's guardians to Serenity's had also come, but not without some resistance. Zoisite had been engaged to Princess Mercury and had been the most adamant against such an arrangement. In secret, he and Kunzite had become lovers. The idea of being forced to marry another had been repulsive to the youngest Tennou, and as a result, their relationship had been revealed.

In the case of Zoisite and Kunzite, it was this reason which resulted in their distance from the Prince, and their ultimate turn to Beryl. They believed that their Prince could no longer see beyond the Princess of the Moon and had lost focus of what was important, his own people.

Something about the story truly touched Zoisite, but he was still no closer to understanding why his name would be so widely rejected. True, they had turned against Endymion, but it wasn't without reason, and Beryl's manipulation had played a large role.

He flipped quickly to the second half of the book, the Dark Kingdom. This he was not familiar with, and so he read more carefully.

In the twentieth century, Serenity, Endymion, and the Sailor Senshi had been transmigrated. They lived as normal humans with no knowledge of their past lives.

Over the years, Metalia had lay quiet, but slowly she gained power, and soon Beryl, along with Endymion's old guardians had been revived. They began to steal energy from the humans of Earth in order to revive Metalia and take over the world. They also set their sights on the Ginzuishou itself, and Beryl's desire to wed Endymion had not faded with time.

Zoisite learned that his predecessor had become a backstabbing villain, willing to hurt anyone who stood in his way. He had a particular hatred for Nephrite, which seemed to stem from a desire for power on Zoisite's part. Nephrite out ranked him, and Zoisite wanted to be second Tennou, after Kunzite.

Nephrite's death had come at Zoisite's order, and as a result, he was put in charge of the operations on Earth. Tuxedo Mask became his new worst enemy, and the Zoisite of the present day knew that Tuxedo Mask and King Endymion were in fact the same person.

Zoisite had tried to kill Tuxedo Mask on many occasions, and the final time had come after Queen Beryl had ordered that he be taken back to the Dark Kingdom alive. As a result, Zoisite was fatally wounded by Beryl.

In all of this, Kunzite and Zoisite had continued their relationship, even without their memories of the past. Kunzite had carried Zoisite from the throne room and had made his death as comfortable as possible.

After the defeat of the Dark Kingdom, Beryl and the Shitennou were all considered to be dead. New enemies were to follow, but Zoisite cared little for them, and he closed the book.

What did it mean? He and Kunzite shared their names with these two enemies, but surely they were not supposed to be the same person.

"_The last time I saw you, you were dying."_

Zoisite shook his head. There was no way that he was the person depicted in that book. He had nothing but the greatest respect for the King. The idea that he could have tried to kill him sickened Zoisite. He was starting to understand why these names wouldn't go over well with the general public. They were enemies of the current monarchs, and anyone who supported King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity would be against them.

If that was the case, why would they have the same names unless...

Zoisite returned the book to its shelf. He had his answer, or at least part of it, and so he left the library and started on his way home.

The story of Zoisite and Kunzite's romance hadn't been particularly descriptive, but something about it pulled at him. It felt... familiar, and he was certain that it wasn't because he was developing feelings for the Kunzite that had come to see him last night. _'I've only known him for a day, how could I possibly be in love with him?_' Zoisite asked himself as the train reached its last stop.

The day was getting late, and he wouldn't have much time to get ready for tonight if he dawdled. Remembering that Kunzite promised to come again tonight made him smile and he hurried back to the brothel to get ready for him.


End file.
